HeHasTheJazzHands
Well-Known Member
@Spaced Out Ace has more experience than me. The H4 isn't as bad as people made them out to be, but they're not screaming pickups. More medium-high output. Scooped, more bass, interesting twangy treble sound.
Anyone Keep Going Back To EMG?
@Spaced Out Ace has more experience than me. The H4 isn't as bad as people made them out to be, but they're not screaming pickups. More medium-high output. Scooped, more bass, interesting twangy treble sound.
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Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
I liked the H2, H3, and H4 (the H1 was too bright and weird in my setup), but I used them with the ALX preamp. You may opt, instead, for an Afterburner, as they might be easier to come by without the pickup. That said, I liked that I could turn the "active"-ness off, and get a more clean/low gain crunch friendly tone easily.
Kyle Jordan
Ace of Knaves
Whelp, even though my 080 is going to be here sooner than I thought, I have a problem. The pickups in my S8 finally passed on to that great parts bin in the sky tonight. I had originally planned on picking up a set of Fluence Open Core Classics to pop in the S8 that I could later also pop in to my 080 once it arrives to see how I like them in that guitar as well eventually. At least on Voice 1.
The problem there is that at set of the Open Cores is about $270 new. I can jump over to the EMG Outlet store on Reverb and get a B Stock 57-8H and 66-8H for $150.
So, for those of you with a lot of experience with the 66, how well does it take to EQing? I know the 60 and the 81 can be manipulated pretty damn well using an EQ pedal or unit before the amp. And it's been many years since I've had long exposure to the 66. And I wasn't a huge fan of it then because it was darker than I liked, but I dug it more than the 85. I'm good with the 57.
The problem there is that at set of the Open Cores is about $270 new. I can jump over to the EMG Outlet store on Reverb and get a B Stock 57-8H and 66-8H for $150.
So, for those of you with a lot of experience with the 66, how well does it take to EQing? I know the 60 and the 81 can be manipulated pretty damn well using an EQ pedal or unit before the amp. And it's been many years since I've had long exposure to the 66. And I wasn't a huge fan of it then because it was darker than I liked, but I dug it more than the 85. I'm good with the 57.
Crash Dandicoot
» B E H O L D
@Kyle Jordan I find the 66 takes a nice mid-range bump very well, though to be honest with the 57/66-7 setup I'm running I almost never use the 66 by itself - the middle position mixes just enough cut from the 57 to retain clarity and the overall smooth tonal characteristics. Full neck position is still nice but not my preference for leads, it's almost too fluid sounding, if that makes sense. Not muddy, per se, just... too much of what it is? I can't think of the appropriate phrasing. Wonderful for cleans, though.
MFB
Banned
Man, my new Jackson has some SD Blackouts, and having played through EMGs on my EC since April - these things sound like dogshit compared to them. They took all the stereotypical complaints about an active pickup and made it worse.
Save me EMG, I didn't know how good I had it!
Save me EMG, I didn't know how good I had it!
Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
That’s always been my conclusion listening to comparisons on YouTube. The Blockouts just don’t sound good, and I think when the one or two endorsers they have (like Jeff Loomis), they’ll likely just drop the line. They’ve dropped the Alnico II Classic after redesigning it to fit in the line, as well as the single coils. I think they even dropped the Metal, which has two levels more gain than the standards. Someone who worked with Duncan said the single coil Blackouts were way better than the EMG single coils, as they sounded like real single coils. Meanwhile, they said the EMGs needed the EQ accessories, or they’d sound shitty.
Zhysick
Well-Known Member
MFB
Banned
Try using the neck pup on the bridge... on a 7 I had a few years ago it sounded a lot better with the pickups swapped... it was the best I could do until I got an 81-7
The neck definitely has more of the mids that the bridge is desperately missing, but there's also a bit of woof to it so it's not what you'd want to use as a main pickup either.
It'll be fixed this weekend when I drop it off with the Distortion that was originally going into my EC401, it's just such a stark contrast to what I'm used to; especially since I tried the other one through an Orange the other day and didn't notice it at all, but the Orange being more mid-heavy probably filled in the gaps.
Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
Would a TW type EMG fit in a Squier Strat? What am I measuring to check for myself?
Zhysick
Well-Known Member
Check from bottom of body route to strings... As far as I know TW pickups are taller than standard EMG pickups so that could be a problem. Check if the route is deep enough to have some space for adjusting... You can check measurements of the pickups on EMG's site
Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
From body route to strings, it was about 40/32”, and minus the 4-5/32” for pickup height, it leaves enough for the pickup. However, the sides of the route go down deeper, just like the ears of the pickup. It should be close to enough room.
Zhysick
Well-Known Member
TW pickups is 1.1" thick as per EMG site and 40/32" is 1.25", that's 4mm of room to adjust height... Quite tight I would say. It fits but there's not much room to adjust height, actually, you will probably have the pickup completely sitting in the route and still close to the strings but since EMGs can be used very close to the strings... Well, good thing if you mess with the route under the oickgusrs nobody can see it in case you need to deepen the route 
Marked Man
Well-Known Member
The 81 has such clarity, you can boost it to Hades and back and it doesn't turn to mush like most traditional passives. That's when it sounds really HUGE! The 85 is actually a bigger sounding pickup, but lacks the same level of aggression when you A/B them, as I've done many times. I have a Charvel 650 that is a lead oriented guitar and the 85 is better for what I use it for. But my Hannemans? Oh, that has to be the 81.
The 81 just as classic for its era as the original PAF or Super Distortion were/are for their eras.
mcleanab
Theta Sagan Swords
Totally get it... my Tobacco Burst Charvel DK24 looked super vintage to me, so I went for the EMG Fat 55 based on the Alnico magnets and the look of the Zebra colors because I thought it would make the whole guitar look more vintage. It does, but goddamn I fell in love with the Fat 55 set!!! Got a black set for my Jackson HT and they sound killer in there... gonna swap out the chrome screws with black ones... I know the poles will still be chrome looking, but we'll see how it goes!
mcleanab
Theta Sagan Swords
I'm waiting on a set of EMG passives, the Rev Set... got an Afterburner I might throw in (gonna play with them by themselves first) if they need more output, but tonally, they seem to have something really fun going on in the midrange that I'm dying to hear in person.
HeHasTheJazzHands
Well-Known Member
Well with the guitar I ended up getting, I stuck an EMG 81 in te bridge and Blackout Ceramic in the neck since it's what I had laying around.. Still thinking about the Het Set down the road.
Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
Does Duncan even make Blackouts still? I mean besides the signature Jeff Loomis pickup.
Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
HeHasTheJazzHands
Well-Known Member
I think the AHB2 are livewires when you activate the onboard boost.
Also apparently they still do. They're on the website and still available in retailers.
also I did start to fall out of favor with the Blackouts. I can see why people claim the treble content can be grating. I switched back to the 81 in my Avenger (that same Blackout is now in the previously mentioned guitar) and it fixed it. Smoothed out some harsh frequencies.
Spaced Out Ace
Well-Known Member
The single coils are not on the site anymore. I remember Frank Falbo or whatever his name is saying that they were a ton better than EMG single coils. Lol
Sorry, but Blackouts had a shorter time in the "sun" than Ultimate Warrior's first run in the WWF.
Anyways, kind of contemplating a 60A, since I totally spaced off that I would not just be able to buy an 89 from the EMG B stock store on Reverb (it doesn't come with the push pull or cable). Anyone know what a 60A sounds like in the bridge?
